Thunderbird Beach Motel

For a budget beach trip, this was a really good value, and I’ll be back. The staff were so friendly, and I kept seeing them tidy the motel grounds. Our room was clean, and housekeeping did a very good job replenishing things each day. The pool area was nice too, with umbrellas and a decent number of chairs.

The place is very clean, and they came in to clean our room every day. The beds were super comfortable, too. It’s close to the beach with direct access, and there’s a pool. Customer service was great, and for this price, you can’t beat it.

The woman at the front desk was the highlight. She was welcoming, fun, and kept things light. The rooms are dated, but given the price, location, and service, it’s worth it if you mainly need somewhere to sleep and rest. I didn’t notice anything unsanitary, and there was surprisingly little noise from other rooms. We were on the ground floor.

The beds were comfortable and clean, and the room was fairly clean too, though the shower especially wasn’t spotless. With only two people cleaning, they’re doing wonders with the time they have. Weekdays were quiet, while weekends got loud because of other guests, which can happen anywhere. Still, this would’ve been a solid four-star stay if a sewage water leak hadn’t started on our second night. It came through the bathroom ceiling in two spots, splashing disgusting brown water while I was on the toilet. It got on the toilet tank, sink, and clean towels. When we reported it at checkout, the staff seemed completely unconcerned. The woman said, “it must be that they showered in room 312,” which made it sound like they knew about the issue and didn’t care that we were getting dripped on. Make sure they don’t put you in room 212. We paid a fair rate for Labor Day weekend, but I wouldn’t pay much more than $100 for a room here. The location is about a 50-minute walk from the main boardwalk stores and rides. Not great, but you get what you pay for.